We lost our tomatoes and peppers to freezing temperatures last Monday night and snow is in our forecast for Wednesday. I’ll soon be saying goodbye to all my flowers until spring.

Columbine are among my favorite flowers. The blossoms appear soft and delicate, yet they are hardy survivors. One grouping of  my columbine got hit with a strong noxious weed spray two years ago. They refused to die and even sent up tiny blooms that year. Two years later they have grown and now look healthy. They have been blooming all summer. The columbine along with the cosmos pictured below are the last flowers still blooming in my flower beds.

I sometimes wonder if my choice in flowers is indicative of personality traits I covet. I’d like to think that I can bloom in harsh environments, that I can make the best out of difficult circumstances and still appear refined and gentle on the outside. That’s what I like about columbine: their tenacity and peaceful beauty.

Cosmos are tough survivors too, but they appear to be happy dancers swaying in the wind. They thrive in the driest soil conditions while still favoring me with bright blooms. I admire those who give cheer to others amidst their trials. So as I say goodbye to the seasons flowers, I hope their life lessons take root within my heart.